Stafford Council approves 83.5% of planning applications, based on 3,175 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Stafford sits 1.5 percentage points below the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 763 decided applications, Stafford Council approved 85.5% of planning applications in 2025. Across 3,175 decisions on record (July 2021 to September 2026), the overall approval rate in Stafford is 83.5%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Stafford council planning portal records · Data to 29 September 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
Enter your postcode for a free, personalised approval pattern report, based on your ward and application type.
Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Stafford.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | 2,311 | 393 | 2,704 | 85.5% |
| Trees | 620 | 60 | 680 | 91.2% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 335 | 103 | 438 | 76.5% |
| Other | 199 | 56 | 255 | 78.0% |
| Prior Approval | 145 | 64 | 209 | 69.4% |
| Listed Building | 182 | 23 | 205 | 88.8% |
| Advertisement | 106 | 21 | 127 | 83.5% |
| Change of Use | 61 | 12 | 73 | 83.6% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eccleshall | 425 | 80 | 505 | 84.2% |
| Milwich | 411 | 76 | 487 | 84.4% |
| Swynnerton And Oulton | 365 | 64 | 429 | 85.1% |
| Seighford And Church Eaton | 311 | 64 | 375 | 82.9% |
| Gnosall And Woodseaves | 257 | 55 | 312 | 82.4% |
| St Michaels And Stonefield | 252 | 38 | 290 | 86.9% |
| Haywood And Hixon | 230 | 48 | 278 | 82.7% |
| Forebridge | 205 | 43 | 248 | 82.7% |
| Fulford | 188 | 39 | 227 | 82.8% |
| Milford | 157 | 22 | 179 | 87.7% |
| Weeping Cross And Wildwood | 134 | 22 | 156 | 85.9% |
| Baswich | 123 | 21 | 144 | 85.4% |
| Barlaston | 113 | 20 | 133 | 85.0% |
| Walton | 115 | 16 | 131 | 87.8% |
| Rowley | 105 | 18 | 123 | 85.4% |
| Manor | 98 | 22 | 120 | 81.7% |
| Holmcroft | 99 | 14 | 113 | 87.6% |
| Littleworth | 74 | 15 | 89 | 83.1% |
| Common | 71 | 17 | 88 | 80.7% |
| Coton | 75 | 10 | 85 | 88.2% |
| Highfield And Western Downs | 53 | 14 | 67 | 79.1% |
| Penkside | 45 | 4 | 49 | 91.8% |
| Doxey And Castletown | 34 | 7 | 41 | 82.9% |
How Stafford’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 6.9pp since 2021.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Stafford council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/42286/HOU Eccleshall | Creation of new porch to front elevation. Installation of additional rooflights | Approved |
| 26/42154/HOU Fulford | Two storey rear extension, single storey rear extension. Demolish existing outbu | Approved |
| 26/42229/FUL Coton | Change of use of an existing detached garden outbuilding to part-time hair salon | Approved |
| 26/42254/LDCPP Fulford | Lawful Development Certificate Proposed - Drop front kerb to the front, hardstan | Approved |
| 26/42202/HOU Baswich | Conversion of a single storey side extension to a two storey extension | Approved |
| 26/42169/LDCPP Fulford | Lawful Development Certificate Proposed - Drop front kerb to the front, hardstan | Approved |
| 26/42059/HOU Fulford | Proposed extensions with external & internal alterations, together with new acce | Approved |
| 26/42023/HOU Milford | Erection of a single-storey side and rear infill extension, a two-storey rear ex | Approved |
| 25/41547/HOU Swynnerton And Oulton | Conversion and extension of garage to form ancillary family room. Addition of op | Approved |
| 26/42631/NHPD Walton | Demolition of existing extension and new single storey rear extension. 3.9m leng | Refused |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Stafford's 3,175 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Stafford's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
More council comparisons coming soon.
Dig deeper into Stafford's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Stafford. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 3,175 real decisions from Stafford council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Stafford's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 3,175 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Stafford is 83.5%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 85.0%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 3,175 planning decisions from Stafford council. 2,652 were approved and 523 were refused. These figures cover every decision on record for the council, July 2021 to September 2026.
The average approval rate in Stafford is 83.5%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Stafford? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.